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Soldier's widow calls for action on RAF failures

AM - Thursday, 23 October , 2008 08:06:00

Reporter: Emma Alberici

PETER CAVE: An inquest in Britain has found that the death of an Australian serviceman in an RAF Hercules crash in Iraq in 2005 was the result of serious failures by the British Air Force.

Thirty-five-year-old Paul Pardoel, who was on attachment with the RAF, was the first Australian serviceman killed in Iraq.

The coroner concluded the flight navigator and nine others on the plane, might have escaped death if an explosion suppressant foam had been installed around the fuel tank and if the crew had been warned of earlier insurgent attacks that day.

Europe correspondent Emma Alberici spoke to Paul Pardoel's wife, Kellie Merritt just after the verdict was handed down

KELLIE MERRITT: I am pretty relieved that we have reached the end. I am now looking forward to going back home and being reunited with the kids.

EMMA ALBERICI: How hard has it been for you to hear that your husband's death was the result of failures that could have, perhaps, been prevented?

KELLIE MERRITT: It saddens me deeply that Paul and his nine peers who were an incredibly courageous professional, skilled crew who work on the front line who work day in tirelessly in horrible conditions were let down by the body of RAF.

I think what has come out is that they were doing their job but others weren't and I just, I find that appalling.

EMMA ALBERICI: When was the last time you spoke to your husband and what was his sort of frame of mind about the theatre of war that he was in?

KELLIE MERRITT: I talked to Paul on the morning of the 30th of January. It was raining and dark and not very nice and it was a Sunday and I wanted to talk to him about the election day because I hadn't factored that the election day was going to be while he was away.

And I remember saying that it was on the news in the UK, my goodness, you are there and it is election day and I feel really anxious for you and what is going on and what true to form, Paul was very, sort of look Kellie it is just job as usual.

EMMA ALBERICI: Why was he actually flying with the British Royal Air Force?

KELLIE MERRITT: Look, you know Emma at the time we obviously thought it was a good idea. We were a young family, keen to sort of have some life experiences. We left Australia at a time when we didn't anticipate Iraq. We knew Afghanistan was going on but it just seemed like a really good idea at the time.

EMMA ALBERICI: Where to from here? Is there likely to be any further action by the families against the RAF?

KELLIE MERRITT: I think when you talk about systemic failings, I don't think the MID being the Ministry for Defence can turn away from, you know, that responsibility.